The Wall
by Langsiell
Summary: After Episode 23? (After Hilde helps Duo escape) Hilde is stuck in prison, that is until she escapes and runs into the last person she thought she would see. There is a car chase, murder, wounds, daring escapes and all that. 2XH fic.
1. In Prison

AN- Okay everybody, this is my first story. errr, actually, I've written others but this is the first one Ive published here. Understand? Good. Please review and all that stuff. There is cussing and violence. If it offends you- shove off. That's about it. I think.. Oh ya- the technical stuff. No part of Gundam Wing is mine, other people own the characters and I am not making any profit off of this. Yada, yada, yada. Ya. Now that's it. Onto the story!  
  
Hilde sat with her back against the cold, metal cell wall and her feet beneath her. The wall was firm, solid, and unyielding against her spine. Something solid in a very twisted world.  
  
It was odd to think that just under a week ago, Hilde had been free. She had been a respected Oz soldier and now? Now she was one of the most hated prisoners ever to be held captured- a traitor. She had not only helped a Gundam pilot escape- she had killed two soldiers and an officer while doing it. In the semi-darkness Hilde grinned- she was quite proud of that record. But where had it gotten her? A 4 foot by 4 foot cell, with a hard, uncomfortable cot and metal walls.  
  
The air vent was metal, with bars spaced at 4 foot intervals to prevent Hilde from crawling through the ducts to freedom. Not that it had stopped her from trying. She had, of course, been caught and punished. Her punishment? Two days without food; Today being the second day.  
  
Her days in prison had developed into a regular pattern. Two guards were always outside her cell door- as if they expected the Gundam pilot to return and try to rescue her. Twice a day she was let out of the cell to go to the toilet and then she was fed. The food was tasteless to be sure, but it wasn't bad. And there never seemed to be enough. After being fed, the guards took her to be questioned in a very white room with a mirror on one side- so that people could watch the interrogation without being seen. Her questioners were always officials of some sort- and usually came in groups of two or three. They tried everything from beating to bribery to get her to talk.  
  
Hilde wasn't sure what they wanted to know so badly. She had been shown that she was fighting for the right thing with the wrong people. So she had switched sides- in the middle of a battle. She had become one of the few that fought alongside the Gundam Pilots, not against them. Of course, Hilde didn't tell her interrogators any of this. Since they wanted to know so badly she refused to tell them. She preferred the silent treatment. It was always so effective in infuriating high ranking officials.  
  
As Hilde saw it there were two things that they could do to her. Sentence her to life in prison or kill her. There was no way that she would go free unless she escaped. Which was exactly what Hilde planned to do. At first she had waited until a chance to escape presented itself, but so far none had. So she had decided to make a chance herself.  
  
So far, nothing had worked. Her attempt at crawling through the air ducts had failed, the guards had noticed and there was no way she would have been able to get out, even if she hadn't been dragged back down by her ankles. Her attempt at overpowering the guards had failed too, and now they gave her even larger, more muscular guards. Hilde even barricaded herself in the bathroom and tried to climb out the air vent in there(with no luck) and then , when she became more desperate, break through the wall. The wall had turned out to be drywall covering very thick, very hard concrete. As a result, her entire right side was covered in odd colored scrapes and bruises. All that this had gotten her was increased security and no meals.  
  
The-Powers-That-Be had just decided that she had to be handcuffed at all times to prevent her from escaping or being uncooperative. Stupid handcuffs. They rubbed her already sore wrists. Hilde decided that her first action should be to remove the them. And to do that she needed.. her cot. Hilde tried to stand up- but her legs had fallen asleep from sitting in an unnatural position, and her arms were no good, so she fell- flat on her face with a loud SLAPing sound. A guard with bulging muscles and once- was-dark-but-now-is-bleach-blond hair peered into her cell.  
  
"What are you doing?" she asked, gruffly.  
  
"What does it look like I'm doing?" Hilde retorted, with her face still pressed against the ground. "I am practicing aerobics- got to stay in shape!" The guard actually laughed and then disappeared. Hilde personally thought that Mrs. Muscle was an idiot. "Give her some slack," Hilde told herself, "she's a blond."  
  
Hilde swung her legs around a bit until the tingly feeling went away and then hauled herself back up. She stumbled over to her cot and moved the mattress off. Underneath she found what she was looking for. Wires. Lots of bed spring wires sticking up at odd angles. Hilde selected one and began to pick her handcuffs.  
  
When she was finished Hilde decided to nap before figuring out how the hell she was going to get out of this mess. ...........................................  
  
Hilde was woken when she was thrown from her cot by a violent rocking motion that swayed the entire complex. She landed, in a heap, in the corner, with her mattress on top of her. Hilde stayed put until the rocking stopped and then staggered to the doorway.  
  
"Hey!" she called. "Hey, what's going on here?" Her guards ignored her. They were to busy talking into their portable vid-phones. Hilde caught a lot of "Yessir"'s and the occasional phrase. From what she could here, the base/prison was under attack, the enemy was unknown, and the rocking had been an explosion. "Gosh", Hilde thought to herself, "I thought it was an earthquake." "You Loser, we are on a colony, we don't get earthquakes in space." A voice in her head chided Hilde. "Fine, Fine. A meteor shower or something, now shut up". The voice obliged just as another explosion rocked the base. Hilde was unprepared, and fell into the cot again, but this time a stray spring cut her forehead, causing blood to pour down her face and blur her vision. "Stupid head wounds." Hilde muttered, whipping the blood away with her hand.  
  
As the rumbles stopped Hilde noticed that there was an unnatural silence around the base. She couldn't here any more "Yessir"'s, or anything else for that matter. Peeking out Hilde saw the same, familiar stretch of boring hallway she saw every time she looked out the window. Except, this time, there were no guards. They appeared to have left.  
  
Hilde didn't know what to do. This was the perfect chance to escape- but she was still locked in her cell. "Damn, Damn, Damn" She muttered. "Profanity does not help the situation." The voice was back. "It god-damn does." Hilde retorted testily. Stupid brain of hers. She was inside, she needed to be out, and now she was having conversations with herself. It wouldn't get wor- footsteps. Hilde heard footsteps, coming down the hallway. Lots and lots of footsteps. Hilde almost ran to the window. Jogging past her window were people. They appeared to be in a hurry- all ignoring her and heading down the hallway. Hilde stuck her arm out and tried to get some attention.  
  
"Hey, Help me out! What's going on?!" She called. Hilde grabbed someone's sleeve and the man turned to look at her. They held eye contact for 20 seconds before he wrenched his arm away. "Traitor Bitch!" he growled before spitting at Hilde. The spittle hit her in the face. Hilde almost couldn't believe it. He had spit on her. That bastard. She wiped off the spit and turned back to the window. The hall looked deserted but she could still here footsteps heading away from her.  
  
And then there was a man running after the soldiers. He took her completely by surprise and she almost didn't recognize him. It was Joe. Joe who was in the same company as her. Joe who had a wife and a baby on the way. Joe who had invited her home for dinner on Christmas when he discovered she didn't have any family left. Joe who might set her free. It was such a surprise that she almost let him run right by.  
  
At the last second Hilde stuck her arm out the window, grabbed his sleeve, and called his name. He stopped dead when he saw her. He didn't move, just stood there, looking at her, almost dumbfounded.  
  
"Joe," Hilde said, "Joe, you have to get me out of here. Joe, please help me. God, get me out of here!"  
  
"Hilde." Joe finally managed to gasp. "What- I- Your still here? I thought- they said- What did you do?- the gundam- the-"  
  
Hilde interrupted. "Joe, I need to get out of here now. If I stay I will die. Just open the door, please, I'm begging you. Just open the door, I'll leave. I'll never come back, I promise, I swear. I won't kill anyone else. Just open the door, Joe."  
  
Joe opened the door and then fled down the hallway. Hilde was shocked. She hadn't really expected him to open the door. She wanted to call "Thankyou" but the voice in her head warned that it would draw unwanted attention to herself. The voice also mentioned that it was a good idea to go in the direction opposite the one the soldiers were taking. Hilde figured that it was good advice, even if it was coming from a voice in her head, and followed it.  
  
The hallway was long, and intersected with another hallway. Hilde glanced both directions. To the left she saw more hallway and to the right she saw double doors. Hilde took a right. When she reached the doors she was more careful. She peeked out the windows and saw. Outside. Sunlight. And nothing else. Taking a deep breath she pushed the door open. An alarm started. "Shit" she thought. The person in her head had no advice now, so she just ran outside with the vague idea that she should get as far from the alarm as possible.  
  
Once she was outside she was forced to stop though. The sunlight had blinded her. Blinking she regained her vision and felt a surge of triumph. She knew where she was. The building in front of her was full of equipment- including weapons and vehicles. Hilde figured that a car would definitely help her escape. But, just as she started to run towards the building, there was another explosion. This one was so close that the debris hit Hilde, and she was knocked to ground, again. She heard shouts and people came running. Shit! The voice suddenly chimed in again. "Sit still-" "I'm not sitting." Hilde replied irritably. "You know what I mean." The voice responded, sounding harassed. Hilde sat still. She just lay there, unmoving, while people ran past. She could see their little feet out of the corner of her eyes. "Maybe they just think I am dead." Hilde thought before getting up and running towards the building. ...........................................  
  
AN: So, what do you think? I've got the rest written but I need to edit bits so that the story s the way I want it. Is this story just rubbish or is it good so far? Please review. I need reviews! Please! 


	2. In a Warehouse

AN: And the next chapter is up! Hurrah! I don't own gundam wing (wish I did) or any of the characters (it would be so cool if I did though) and I am not making any money off of this (Not that I wouldn't like too) so don't sue me. Sorry about spelling and grammar errors. I have no idea how to spell Misallenious so put up with the misspelled version. That's it, Now read the story!  
  
Double doors let Hilde into the building, well, warehouse really. It was where all kinds of things that were useful to an army were kept. There where huge, wooden shelves, reaching to the ceiling. To Hilde the place felt like dusty, disorganized organization. Each row was carefully labeled. There was a row labeled "Transportation", one labeled "Weaponry", three labeled "Necessaries" (whatever those were) and one labeled "Misallenious". The shelves were anything from organized, however. There were things jammed everywhere. Things overflowing. Things lying in the aisles waiting to trip someone up. To Hilde it was paradise. The moment she had entered the building she had come up with a dim, foggy sort of plan. She would steal a car or truck or something and then make it go as fast as possible anywhere away from here. If she was lucky she could get a shuttle to another colony, or earth, or somewhere. It didn't really matter where she ended up. All Hilde wanted was to be away from here  
  
The first aisle Hilde examined was the "Transportation" aisle. She had been hoping to find a row of jeeps and trucks, but the aisle was mostly parts for jeeps and trucks. There was one very old car, but there was no gas, so that was useless. The next aisle she went down was the one labeled "Weaponry". There she found a very nice handgun and enough ammo to last forever. She grabbed as much as she could carry and headed of the "Nessesaries" aisle. There she found a very nice jacket with enough pockets to hold both gun and ammo. And a few fruit bars and jerky she had found there too.  
  
Hilde found the jackpot in the "Misallenious" Section. Of course, a car would do much better, it had more metal and fiberglass, more shielding from bullets, and a larger gas tank, but a motorcycle was the second best thing. It was your basic, get around, nothing fancy, not a Harley, motorcycle. With no key. "Okay, so problem solve Hilde." "No key. So... Hotwire it." "Good! One problem- you don't know how." "Whatever, I'll figure it out. Lets see.. damn it, I can't see. I need more light."  
  
Hilde wheeled the bike over near the doors, and bent down to work. It didn't go well. After 5 minuets of attempting to hotwire the stupid motorcycle she was disgusted with herself and motorcycle manufacturers in general. Just about the time Hilde banging her head against the bike, a man ran through the doors closest to Hilde and fell over her and the bike. It took her completely by surprise. One minute she was killing brain cells and the next there was a strange, more than likely deadly, man tripping over her. They landed in an undignified pile and Hilde and the man both scrambled up and away from each other as fast as humanly possible. Hilde had her gun out and pointed at the man before she had time to think. The problem was he had a gun pointed at her too.  
  
For the first time, Hilde got a good look at him. He was very familiar.  
  
"Holy shit, Maxwell?" she gasped, lowering the gun a fraction of an inch. He was no longer more than likely deadly- he was a gundam pilot, known killer and assassin, the reason she was in this mess. Definitely a health hazard.  
  
Duo Maxwell lowered his gun an inch or two and looked at her. "Oh good, its you!" he said, and smiled.  
  
"Yes, of course it's me, who else would you find in a high security military base? Can you hotwire a motorbike.. errr. Motorcycle?" Hilde asked, rather quickly, as she pocketed her gun.  
  
"What? Uh, a motorbike? Um sure, why?" Duo asked, confused.  
  
Hilde started to haul the bike up from the ground. "Because I need to get the hell out of here, now, before I am captured and killed. Help please." Hilde could now here noises from outside. She had minutes at the most, before someone came in here and found her. Duo helped her right the bike and immediately bent to the exposed wires.  
  
"It's simple," he said. "What colors make Green?"  
  
"Green? Uhh. Blue and yellow, why?"  
  
"Because you snip those wires, cross em, and vrooom!" responded the gundam pilot, ignoring the loud noises coming from outside. "Or, at least, I think it's blue and yellow. There, now start her up." Hilde stepped forward and, with shaking fingers, tried to start the engine. It worked. The engine coughed, and caught, rumbling happily. "Yes! You're a genius!" Hilde said, hugging one of the most hated men in the universe. "Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou. How can I repay you?"  
  
"Hey, hey, hey," said Duo, as he grabbed her arm. "I am the one repaying the favor." There was a shout from outside and a beeping noise filled the building. "Shit." Duo said, "We had better go now, they know your missing."  
  
That made Hilde move. "Wait." Said Duo, "We need helmets. Safety first, yaknow?  
  
Hilde was in shock. "Helmets? You want Helmets?" Duo nodded. Sighing Hilde told him to stay put, she knew where they were so she would go get them, it was quicker that way.  
  
Hilde took off at a run down "Misallenious" aisle again. It took a bit of searching to find the helmets. They were in behind a pile of blankets and old pillowcases. Eventually she found two and headed back down the aisle at a jog. She ran around the corner shouting an "I've got them." Before stopping dead. There were now two men in front of her. One was short, blond, and holding a gun to Duo's head. Duo was kneeling on the floor.  
  
Hilde's sudden appearance had taken the man by surprise. He just stood there for a beat before leveling another gun at her. Hilde promptly jumped back into the aisle as a gunshot rang out. The bullet actually hit the wooden shelving Hilde was hiding behind.  
  
"Come out!" he yelled. His voice was strong, but nice. Beautiful even. It wasn't the voice that should have belonged to that man. His voice should have been harsh and violent- but it wasn't. The voice came again, "Come out, now! Or I will kill him!"  
  
Hilde stepped out from behind the shelving, only this time she had a gun too. The man with the beautiful voice looked at her for a moment before starting to laugh. It wasn't a nice laugh. It was the kind of laugh that made Hilde cringe. "Are you going to shoot me?" He asked. "Are you seriously going to shoot me?"  
  
Hilde looked at Duo. His eyes said "Do it. Shoot him." Hilde tried she really did. She told her finger to do it. To pull the trigger and kill this evil man. But her finger wouldn't listen. Her brain reasoned that if she did not kill him now he would kill her and Duo. She did not want either of them to die, now, like this. But her finger stayed still and her hand started to shake. She let out a little involuntary moan of frustration. The man started to laugh again.  
  
Duo leapt into action. He twisted around and rolled away. He came up some three feet away with his gun in his hand. A bullet came spinning out and sped towards the man with the beautiful voice. It hit him on the left side of the chest, where his heart would be. The man's blue eyes bulged a bit, he made a small noise, and then he fell.  
  
Hilde just stood there. She didn't know what to do. To think! Her gun was still pointed at where he had been but her arm was trembling violently. One moment that man had been alive. He had been laughing. Now he was lying on the cold, cement floor. He was dead. Hilde had killed people before, but never like this. Never so close. It had always been in mobile suits. Never like this. Dead. What if he had a family? What if they were at home now, waiting for him? What if-  
  
Duo came up besides her and slowly took her gun away. He took her by surprise and she jerked away violently. Duo stood there looking at her for a moment. "It's okay." He said softly. "It's okay." Then he put her gun back into her pocket. "We need to get going." He was right. There was no point in staying here, they needed to be gone, now.  
  
"Alright, lets go." Hilde said, avoiding looking directly at him. Duo bent and picked up the helmets, handing one to her. Hilde clambered onto the motorcycle, and Duo settled behind her. His arms wrapped around her waist. She revved the engine and then they were off.  
  
AN: Honestly, I have no idea how to hotwire anything. The whole "What colors make green?" bit comes from what I was told on the bus. Don't actually try to hotwire a motorcycle like that, though, you might get blown up or something. What do you think? I've got a whole chase thing planned for the next chapter. Please review, Thanks for the great reviews so far! - Langsiell 


	3. On the road

AN: Thanks to everyone for reviewing, you all are great. I finally got his chapter mostly the way I want it, so I'm posting it now. I don't own gundam wing or anything else worth mentioning- if I did I would be a very happy woman, but I don't. so I'm sad. Thanks again, now read the story! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  
Hilde revved the engine, gave it some gas, and they were off- headed straight for the most solid double doors she had ever seen. The plan had been to run right into the doors. Hopefully, they would open smoothly and they would be out. But now that they were actually racing towards them it took every ounce of self control and will power Hilde had to keep on course. An instant before they hit the doors, Duo's arms tightened around her waist and then- They were out. The doors opened so smoothly Hilde felt herself thinking about light curtains parted by a summer breeze.  
  
Outside was a shock. It must have been about noon because the sun was at its artificial brightest, glaring at them from above. It blinded them both temporarily. When her eyes finally adjusted to the sun she screamed. There was a soldier standing right in front of her. The woman was paralyzed, just watching them rush towards her. There was no way Hilde would be able to miss her, the street here was still too narrow.  
  
"Move! Move it!" Hilde screamed. Finally the woman seemed to come to herself. She jumped out of the way at the very last second. But she hadn't jumped far enough. Even over the roar of the engine and the pounding of her won heart Hilde could hear the sickening sound of breaking bone as she drove over the woman's ankle.  
  
Then the woman was behind them. Duo leaned against her back and shouted into her ear, "Turn left now!"  
  
Hilde took the turn. "Where are we going?" She yelled back at him.  
  
"We are headed for the small side entrance, near the cafeteria." Duo bellowed in response.  
  
Hilde nodded. She knew the place. It was, in many ways, the perfect place to escape. The base had 3 main entrances and exits. They were all heavily used and more heavily guarded. But, there was a fourth entrance, used to bring food to the kitchens in a fast, efficient manner. This gate was seldom remembered, usually guarded by only 1 or 2 men. With any luck those men would have been called away to help repair damage to the base, or look for her, or something else.  
  
Hilde made another left turn, onto a large, very busy street. There were soldiers all down its length, doing all kinds of things. As they zoomed past not many men looked at them, they were to busy doing whatever it was they were doing. But a few of the men stopped to stare. Then a cry went up. Something to the effects of "Look! The Gundam pilot and the traitor! Kill them!". Hilde winced. Never hope for the best, she reminded herself, just she heard the patter of gunfire behind her.  
  
Hilde took a moment to glance behind her. There was a line of men shooting at them, but what worried her the most was the 4 or 5 men piling into a jeep behind them. They were going to chase them!  
  
"DRIVE!" Duo bellowed as Hilde almost ran into a very large van parked in the street. Hilde took his advice and tried to ignore the bullets and the small voice that kept saying, "Your going to die. They are going to shoot you. You are going to die."  
  
Duo let go of her waist with one had and reached into one of her pockets. He pulled out her gun and turned to fire at the jeep. Hilde could feel every shot e fired. The vibrations traveled from the gun, down Duo's arm, and into her back.  
  
Hilde took a right turn. Almost there, she thought. Almost there. But where were they going once they got out of the base? Where could they hide? They were recognizable a mile away. Duo had his longhair that was impossible to hide and she was still wearing her uniform. Even though it was coated with a weeks worth of grime and dust it stood out. AND Hilde would bet a million credits that both hers and Duos faces were on the front page of every newspaper on the colony. There was virtually no place to hide. Hilde was about to point this out to the man behind her, but he was too busy distracting the men in the jeep, so she left him alone. Obviously he had a plan of some sort. Hilde just hoped it was a good plan. A very good plan.  
  
Bullets started to rain down harder than ever. She heard Duo yell something.  
  
"What?" she shouted back at him.  
  
"There is another car behind us," was the reply. "We need to get out of here now!"  
  
Hilde didn't respond, but she did start to weave the bike from side to side. She had been taught that a moving target was harder to hit that a stationary target. Another right turn and they were at the gate- which was completely deserted. It was almost too good to be true- except of course for the bar which had been lowered over the road to prevent just anyone from driving into the base.  
  
"Jump the curb!" Duo yelled at her. Hilde did just that, she jumped the curve and drove between the end of the bar and the high fence. It was such a small squeeze that her knees scraped on both sides. But Hilde wasn't really paying attention to that. She was planning her route.  
  
"Where are we going now?" Hilde asked the man behind her.  
  
"The Sisters Motel, on Chicago Street." Duo replied. Hilde didn't know the Motel but she did know the neighborhood. The colony was divided into three sections, with the hospital in the rough middle of them all. One was the military base, which was shaped like a large, lumpy, potatoe on one side of the colony. Another section was the businesses and the businessmen's homes. It was nice, if a bit boring. The third was the "bad side" of town. The rough life lived there, along with everyone who did not work at a bank. It wasn't necessarily a bad place, but it was a bit violent. Children were warned to keep away from that area. It was also home to Chicago street.  
  
Behind her Hilde heard the crunch and splintering of a motor vehicle crashing through the barrier. Hilde groaned. She had been hoping it would have stopped them. There was the zing of more bullets around them. Duo began to return fire as Hilde turned, cutting across traffic onto San Diego.  
  
San Diego was one of the busiest streets on the colony, stretching from one end to another in a long, continuous loop. Right now, it was jammed full of traffic. The voice in Hilde's brain suggested that this would the perfect spot to try to loose the soldiers. Hilde agreed. She cut in behind a small sports car that was going about 90 and weaving in and out of traffic.  
  
A Bullet zinged past her left ear and right through the window of the sports car. Hilde watched, fascinated as the window crumbled. Then she came to her senses. She drove over 2 lanes of traffic to get besides a large moving van. Safe for the moment.  
  
Duo was shouting at her again. "We need to dump the bike before we get there. I've got the key in my pocket - already got the room."  
  
Hilde nodded, "Got it!". Then she heard Duo curse just as a bullet grazed against her thigh. It didn't really hurt, it was just warm. She looked down and saw blood, but nothing serious. Then Duo groaned.  
  
"What?" she asked as she accelerated, and sped in front of the van.  
  
"Keep going!" he shouted at her as he turned around to return fire. Hilde was doing some fast thinking. This was not working. The bike was a bit old, the enemy was gaining. What she needed to do was stop them completely.  
  
Bullets whizzed by again. Hilde continued to weave between traffic. She mad a sharp turn onto Albuquerque Ave. Why were all the streets on the colony named after cities on earth? She was almost at their destination, but still being followed. What in the universes was she supposed to do. More bullets. This was not- then it hit her. What to do. A plan. It was a bit dangerous, okay a lot dangerous, and relyed mostly on good luck but it was better than nothing.  
  
Hilde slowed down a bit. "What are you doing?" Duo yelled.  
  
"Trust me!" The jeep was gaining, so was the other car. Just a bit closer.. There. This was it. Hilde said a short, mental prayer, and swerved into the oncoming traffic. She was almost hit by minivan and a large man on another motorcycle but managed to miss them. There was a quick patter of bullets, and then a huge crunching, screeching sound. The sound of metal on metal, of glass breaking, and the squeal of breaks. The jeep had tried to follow Hilde, but, being bigger and less maneuverable, it had collided with a large SUV, which was hit by a neon. Hilde glanced over her shoulder to see her other pursuers pull up besides their comrades and begin to try and pull them out of the wreckage. Hilde kept going, very pleased with herself.  
  
She drove until she reached one of the small parks on the colony. This one was rarely used because of its local, in the center of the "Bad" part of town. It was not very large, but not too small either. With lots of trees and grass a tad too tall. I even had a large duck pond, complete with a once-picturesque-but-now-grimy bridge.  
  
Hilde headed pond. She drove over the grass and right to the waters edge before jumping off of the bike. "Come on, get off." She said to Duo as she removed her helmet. Then she threw the helmet out as far as she could. It spun in a large arc, before landing with a huge splash in the center of the lake. "Give me yours." She said to Duo. When he didn't respond she looked over her shoulder at him. He was pale and clutching one shoulder. Hilde almost fell over with shock. The gundam pilot had been shot.  
  
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AN: What do you think? I read it to myself and I think that my writing is weird, but I don't really mind. Review it!!! Please!!!! Even if you didn't like it, tell me why. Oh, yes, I did mean to leave it as a cliffhanger. But I am in the writing mood today, the muse has returned, so I might even finish the next chapter soon. Who knows? Anyway, thanks for reading. Review now! ---Langsiell 


	4. At the Sisters Motel on Chicago Street

Hilde stared in shock for a moment. It was almost unreal. He was the Gundam Pilot. Gundam pilots didn't get shot. They were invincible, superhuman. They were evil menaces, powerful heroes. But here one was, clutching his shoulder, pale faced, and swaying. Hilde finally came to herself. She rushed over to Duo and helped him into a nearby bench.  
  
"God, why didn't you say anything?" Hilde asked as she bent to examine the wound.  
Duo winced as she peeled back his shirt. "What was the point?" Hilde leaned closer, reaching to prod the red, gaping hole, looking to see if the bullet was still there, but Duos hand stopped her. "Hey, stop it. We gotta get going. We can't wait here."  
  
Hilde had to admit, he had a point.  
  
If you asked her later, Hilde wouldn't have been able to tell you how she got Duo to the hotel. To her, that part of the afternoon was one huge cloud of jumbled thoughts. She remembered getting rid of the bike- wheeling it out onto the center of the bridge and then pushing it over the railing and into the murky depths of the duck pond. Then all that's left in her mind is the nightmare walk to the Sisters Motel.  
  
Under normal circumstances it would have been an easy, if long, stroll. But to Hilde, it was hell. Duo did his best but the pain and bloodloss overtook him before they were half way there. The rest of the journey he stumbled along, resting much of his weight on Hilde's shoulder. The sun had disappeared, replaced by heavy, gray, manmade clouds.  
  
After an eternity they reached the hotel. It wasn't a bad place, but it wasn't a nice place wither. The two-story building had the look of one that has been around a long time with not enough money or attention spent on repairs. The walls were forest green, the trim was white, and the plastic numbers on each door were a chipped gold.  
  
Key, said Hilde's brain as they stood across the street, gazing in a sort of horror at the building. Get the key. Where is it, though? In his pocket, idiot. He told you before. Right, in his pocket. Of course, where else would he keep a key? I could have figured that out. Hilde grumbled at herself. Of course you could have, she replied in a sarcastic voice. She looked up at Duo's face. He looked dead. He was past pale, transparent, she could see the veins in his eyelids and she could here his ragged breathing. And feel his weight on her shoulder.  
  
Pocket, But which once? He was wearing jeans, with four pockets, a jacket with two, and a shirt, with none. Gently Hilde eased her free hand into a jacket pocket. She felt the cool, hardness of the gun. It was sticky with blood. Hastily Hilde pulled her hand back, chilled to the bone. Next pocket, no key. Next pocket, no key. And so on, until the last pocket, of course. The key was just your average key, nondescript, silver, a smudged. It was attached to a plastic keychain that said "Howdy, from Texas!" in red. Over that was written "R-13". Room Thirteen. As Hilde helped Duo cross the street she wondered idly if it was a sign, the way the day had been going she was ready to become superstitious if it gave her a heads up as to future events.  
  
The room was on the second floor. The stairs proved to be almost impossible to get Duo up, but somehow she managed to half carry, half drag him up them. Hilde had some trouble with the key, but after realizing she had been trying to insert it upside down and fixing the problem she got the door open no problem.  
  
The room smelled funny, like mothballs and sweat. There was one large bed with a truly horrible floral print on the cover. Hilde ignored it and eased Duo onto the bed. He mumbled her a thanks and closed his eyes. Hilde was unsure as to weather he should be sleeping, she knew people with concussions shouldn't be allowed to sleep but what about gunshot wounds, shock and bloodloss? Well, it doesn't really matter, she thought. It doesn't look as if I could actually wake him up.  
  
Hilde bent down to examine the wound but couldn't see anything because of his shirt and jacket. So she unzipped the jacket and tried to gently ease if off of him. It took her three minutes to find a pair of scissors in the bathroom and cut the shirt off. Finally, she could see the wound. What she saw looked bad. The hole was small and dark, but his entire shoulder had swelled up and the area near hole was turning colors. His side was pink and red with blood, the wound was still oozing. And Hilde had no idea what to do. He needs a doctor, soon. She thought.  
  
There was only one place to get a doctor- the hospital. So that was just where she would have to go. Hilde grabbed the towels from the bathroom and tucked them around Duo. Then she scribbled a quick note saying that she would be back, but not where she went, on a blank page torn out of the bible on the nightstand. Hilde hoped God would understand the circumstances. She checked on Duo one last time, removed the gun from his jacket pocket, wiped off the blood and headed towards the door.  
  
Before she was half way across the room, however she halted. There was a full length mirror on the back on the door, and Hilde had seen her reflection. You look like shit, she told herself. And she did. She was still in her filthy uniform, only now it had gotten worse. One pant leg was torn down the side, she had some of Duo's blood on her shirt, her hair looked as if hadn't been washed for a week, which it hadn't. It took Hilde less than ten seconds to realize that she couldn't go out like this. It was a miracle that they hadn't been stopped on the way over, in fact. What Hilde needed was a jacket, a long on, to cover up her appearance. And Hilde knew just where to get one.  
  
The lobby of the motel was long and dark. The front desk had an orange counter and a thirty something, big chested woman behind it. The woman was watching a tiny counter TV and popping bubble gum. At the end near the door was a bunch of tables and chairs and a counter that still sported the crumbling remains of a free continental breakfast. Further down the room were a couple of dilapidated couches and an ancient TV set. A group of older men were gather around the set, watching sports.  
  
Hilde tried to look suspicious as she closed the door behind her, but she needn't have bothered. No one paid her any attention. The lady at the counter kept popping her gum and the men around the TV kept watching, enthralled with whatever sport it was. Hilde gave the place a quick once over, found nothing amiss, and then look a longer look. There, on the couch closest to the sports fans was what she was looking for, a coat, lying forgotten. Hilde strode purposely forward and reached for the coat. One of the men looked over at her.  
  
Hilde shrugged and said, "Forgot my coat." He went back to the TV and Hilde breathed a sigh of relief. Good. Now all she needed to do was go find a doctor.  
  
Hilde had taken three steps down the street when it started to rain. Not just a little rain, sheets of rain, torrents of rain. It was as if the entire sky had let loose. As if God had decided to dump an ocean on Hilde's already tired head.  
  
Hilde cursed. Not just one or two choice words, every word she could think of. "Stupid-fucking-holy-shit-bastard-son-of-a-bitch-whore-slut-fucking- limp-ass-llama-turd."  
  
Why did this happen to her? Why had this all happened to her? If, a week ago, she hadn't been there then, she might have never helped Duo Maxwell escape. She might have never been caught. She might never be in this position. A wanted traitor, escaped from prison, helping one of the most wanted men in the universe, wondering how the hell she was going to get a doctor to fix up a gundam pilot, stuck in the goddamn rain. If this hadn't happened she might be at home now, curled up in her small room, clean, content, with a warm drink.  
  
But did she really want to be back there? Did she really want comfort if she knew that she was living a lie? Did she really want to never have met Duo Maxwell? No. She decided. If it were a choice between what had happened and making it never have happened she wouldn't change a thing. She had helped Duo, after all. And that had been her choice. But the fates could have been kinder. At least they could have stopped the fucking rain. Hilde sighed, and started walking again, as she turned up the collar of her new coat.  
  
AN: Let me just say, I know it has been forever since I updated. I know, I apologize. But this was a kinda hard chapter to write, and truth be told I am lazy. Really lazy. Please Review. Maybe if you do I will be inspired to write more soon! Thanks for sticking with me.  
  
Neptoon15- hey, guess what I did it! I updated! Yaaaaaa! Now it's you turn.  
  
REVIEW PLEASE!  
  
~ Langsiell P.S. Thanks to all who have read this! 


	5. In The Rain

There are some types of rain that are pleasant. Rain with warm, fat drops that make you smile and stick out your tongue. Rain that smells deliciously like rain, fresh and new. Rain that patiently, melodically drums on your windows while you watch from the warm inside of your living room.  
  
Unfortunately, Hilde was outside and the rain was hard and cold. Unforgiving. It slashed down, drenching Hilde's already soaked hide before smashing into the pavement.  
  
"I am going to MURDER whoever is in charge of weather," Hilde grumbled to herself.  
  
"My very thoughts," said a voice. Hilde started violently, reaching almost unconsciously for her pocket before checking herself. She peered to her left, seeing a young man with sandy blond hair and a long white coat, standing underneath an umbrella.  
  
"It's the rain," he said. "It masks the sounds."  
  
"Oh." Hilde felt like an idiot. In her present situation, as an ex-oz officer who had just escaped from prison with the help of a Gundam pilot, it was not a good idea to let unknown men sneak up on her. In fact, that's probably not a good idea in any situation, Hilde told herself.  
  
"Do you want some umbrella?" the young man asked helpfully. Hilde eyed him suspiciously. It would be nice to be out of the rain... But she needed to find a doctor, quickly. That was, after all, why she was standing in the rain at one of the back entrances to the only hospital on the colony.  
  
"Just till your ride comes. You have got a ride, right?"  
  
"Yes," Hilde lied as she stepped underneath the umbrella.  
  
The young man shifted the umbrella to cover her a bit better and stuck out his hand. "Hi, I'm Breggo Yolden."  
  
Hilde shook his hand.  
  
"Breggo?" she asked, to keep from sharing her own name.  
  
"Ya, my parents were... a bit eccentric. They were ever so disappointed when I grew up to become a doctor," he said conversationally, "and not the president of Greenpeace. They were absolutely mortified when I moved to L2. Ah, but, oh well. Can't please everybody, can we?"  
  
"No," said Hilde, dazedly. She'd found one. A doctor.  
  
The doctor was presently peering at her face, looking concerned.  
  
"I'm fine," she said quickly. "Just, uh, um. I..."  
  
"Got some bad news?" he suggested.  
  
"Yes, a friend of mine got shot." Hilde went by the rule that said if you have to lie, stick as close to the truth as you can. It's easier to remember.  
  
The Doctor was mumbling condolences but Hilde took a deep breath and cut him off.  
  
"Doctor, what is your opinion of the Gundam pilots?"  
  
He looked a bit stunned by the sudden shift in conversation. "I, I feel sorry for them." Hilde could understand that. They were isolated, alone in a war torn world with no homes or even a side to fight on because both sides hated them. Everywhere they went they were shunned. Or the place was destroyed. At least, that was the impression she had gotten from Duo. Hilde wondered if she shared a similar fate.  
  
"Doctor, I need to come with me."  
  
"You what?" The young man stepped backwards, away from her.  
  
"Please, Doctor," said Hilde, reaching into her pocket and jammed the gun into his side. "I have a friend who needs help. Please don't make a fuss." He looked pale and sick to his stomach. Poor guy, Hilde thought. It's not his fault- he just offered me some of his umbrella.  
  
Hilde hooked her arm through his, the gun still against his ribs, and started walking. He walked along with her, sloshing through the flooded parking lot.  
  
Suddenly, the doctor halted besides her. "We can't go that way," he said.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Oz. They put up a perimeter around the hospital. They want to know everyone going in and out. They... they seem to think that they wounded one of you." He looked at her. "There was an announcement on the intercom."  
  
"Shit!" said Hilde, her mind racing around trying to think of a way to get out of here.  
  
"We could go in my car, they'll check but I might get you through."  
  
"Ha, fat chance! You'll say something."  
  
"Either way you're stuck. If I turn you in your caught, If you stay here they will find you. It's worth a try." Hilde hated to admit he was right.  
  
"Which car is yours?"  
  
He led her back the way they had come, to a bright red sports car.  
  
"Ooooooo. Nice car." Said Hilde, even though she was feeling a bit ill. She didn't like putting her life in the hands of a man she had known for only ten minutes. You trusted Duo, her brain reminded her. Well that was different, Hilde told herself.  
  
"I am a Doctor. Gotta spend my money on something. Here," said the young man, opening a door for her. Hilde climbed in and waited as he got in the drivers side.  
  
"Humph.... Put the seat back. And then, cover yourself with this," he reached into the back seat and handed Hilde a dusty red blanket.  
  
Hilde reclined the chair and pulled the blanket over head, like he had asked. Her fingers were shaking, her mind was screaming at her. Telling her to jump out of the vehicle even as it rolled towards the Oz soldiers. To run for it- do anything but lie there and wait to be caught. To find another way out of the hospital and back to Duo. There had to be another way. There was absolutely no reason for the Doctor to help her. I did just accost him, hold him at gunpoint, force him to walk through he pouring rain, and then drip all over his pretty, red car, Hilde thought. He has plenty of reason to try and get my ass thrown back in jail.  
  
There was one thing that kept Hilde in her seat, though. Duo. If she ran for it he wouldn't get a doctor. He might die because she had chickened out. There was something about that thought that was unbearable to Hilde. She had killed men before, but she could not, would not let Duo die, especially because of her.  
  
Hilde felt the car roll to a stop and heard the squeal of the window opening  
  
The blanket was heavy, too heavy. It pushed down on Hilde, suffocating her.  
  
She heard voices. It seemed so flimsy, the blanket. A mere quarter of a centimeter between herself and the men searching for her. Between freedom and imprisonment. Between life and death. Because if they caught her they would surely kill her. She wondered, would it be the chair? Or the gas chamber? Or maybe they would jettison her into space. Or, perhaps, they would beat her to death and tell the newspapers it was a 'hunger strike' or some other lie.  
  
Shut up! Hilde told herself. Shut up! You are not Steven Biko! He was black and male and South African and he wanted peace and equality and freedom. You are white, female and German. You thought you fought for the colonies, but now you don't have a cause. You're like a piece of debris floating through space without direction or reason.  
  
She was shaking so badly it was a wonder the soldier hadn't noticed. The voices continued overhead. Hilde would have liked to listen, but her ears were full of the pounding of her heart.  
  
Then the car was moving again. Hilde struggled to pull herself free of the suffocating blanket and sit up, but an arm held her down.  
  
"Wait," said the Doctor. "They can still see us."  
  
Hilde waited.  
  
"Alright, you can sit up." Hilde sat up and stared at the world around her. The rain ran down the windows, the lights of the colony twinkled at her.  
  
"You didn't tell them about me." Hilde said, her voice quavering.  
  
"No, I didn't. Where are we going?"  
  
"The Sister's Motel, on... I can't remember the name of the street." Hilde felt like crying.  
  
"Don't worry, I know the place." They drove in silence for some moments, Hilde watching the world through the window.  
  
"Why didn't you tell them?" She asked as they pulled into the parking lot.  
  
"I already told you, I feel sorry for the Gundam pilots. I feel sorry for you too. It seems to me that you've set yourself a task too hard and you could use whatever help you can. It takes guts to defy Oz." He shrugged at her and climbed out of the car. Hilde followed suit and waited under the eves as he grabbed a duffel bag from the trunk.  
  
"What says that I defied Oz in any way, or that I have anything to do with the Gundams?" Hilde almost didn't want to know the answer.  
  
"Your picture has been shown on every news-station on the colony," said the Doctor as Hilde turned to climb up the stairs.  
  
"You are a little dirtier, older looking- like you've seen too much, but it is you." Hilde reached the top and turned left.  
  
"They don't have a picture of your friend, but I'll be willing to bet that his male, about 16, with blue eyes and brown hair." Hilde reached the door and fished in her pockets for the key.  
  
"I believe that he was last seen wearing black." Hilde found it in the pocket with the gun. There was a smear of blood on the metal. Poor thing, Hilde thought, it's not meant to have to deal with people like me. It's supposed to deal with mothers and families on vacation. Not murders or traitors.  
  
AN: I know, I know, I know. It took me EONS to get his chapter out. Well, maybe not eons, but you get the point. It took a really long time. Apologies to the academy. (Ignore that, please, I just like saying "The academy..." its cool) Apologies to everyone who has been waiting. And a humongous THANKYOU to everyone who has read this chapter and an even bigger thank you to anyone who reviews it!!! Hint, hint. PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!! All comments are appreciated.  
  
Now, for the thankyou's-  
  
Patricia- See, she tried to help him! Thanks for thinking my story is great. Its so nice to hear nice things from nice people whom I have never (presumably) met before. Who knows, maybe you are the lady who I stood In line behind at K-Mart last week, You never know, do you?  
  
computer geek michelle- Did I tell you before that I like your name. "Computer Geek Michelle" Just has this ring to it. Maybe it is the multiple syllables, or the word geek. Its almost as cool as "dork" or "dweeb". I LOVE dweeb. Btb, thanks!  
  
Mama-sama- God, you are so reliable. Reliable to the extreme. To the zillionth power. Thanks for being so reliable and always having a nice, inspiring word to say.  
  
to anyone I forgot- apologies, and permission to yell at me. I will thank you next time if you remind me, k?  
  
THANKS AGAIN! 


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